Detective Inspector Brendan Smith said three of the accused men were "participants of the Bandidos", with one of them the ex-president of the club's Gold Coast chapter.

"One of the victims spoke to his ex-girlfriend, who happened to be now a current friend or girlfriend of one of the offenders, and this person didn't think that was appropriate and went around and threatened them and that led to the extortion," he said.

"This is the mindset of these people that you can't talk to anyone - this was in a shopping centre where this person has run into an ex-girlfriend and they've had a chat."

Two of the men who appeared in court applied for bail.

One application will be heard on Friday.

Intimidation tactics allegedly used

Detective Inspector Smith said officers have alleged several intimidation tactics were used.

"They've gone around and smashed the windscreen of a car with a baseball bat," he said.

"One of the victims has had to escape out of his toilet window to get away from them.

"One of the other victims has had a couch set on fire, which is under investigation.

"That could have led to a whole house, or a number of houses, in a suburb burning down."

Detective Inspector Smith said "the tide has changed" and the community was "no longer afraid of these people".

"We've got people coming forward almost on a weekly basis," he said.

"It is testament to the change in Queensland that these gangs no longer have the power that they had - that the community's had enough.

"[Police] now have the power and the resources to go after them."

Detective Superintendent Mick Niland, the commander of Taskforce Maxima, said recent changes to the state's VLAD laws have not affected police investigations.

"The investigative process has not been affected at all - the laws that have changed have been in the punishment regime," he said.